Research
Aquatic Heatwaves
Heatwaves in the atmosphere and ocean are increasing in frequency, magnitude, duration, and spatial extent. However, little is known regarding heatwaves in inland waters and sediments. My research investigates heatwaves in streams, rivers, and estuaries throughout the USA and assesses their co-occurrence with extremes in other water quality variables and other mediums, such as vegetated coastal sediments.
Check out this Fox Weather and Science News magazine article on my riverine heatwave research.
I have recently begun collaborating on a riverine heatwave project with team members from UC Davis and Utah State to better understand the impact of wildfire smoke on riverine heatwaves in western U.S. rivers - read more here.
I also belong to the international working group - Coastal Marine Heatwave Interdisciplinary Research (CMHIR) group
Ecosystem Resilience
The resistance to and recovery from a disturbance event defines an ecosystem's resilience. My research has examined the time length, shape, and methods of recovery within a restored seagrass meadow on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Additionally, I've developed a quantitative literature synthesis of seagrass disturbance-recovery dynamics to provide a deeper understanding of seagrass resilience from prior experimental and observational studies.
See more about UVA's work on seagrass and restoration here: http://seagrass.virginia.edu/
Harmful Algal Blooms
Excess nutrients in waterways help to promote the overgrowth of algae which sometimes produce toxic by-products that can be harmful to human and animal health. I'm interested in how these toxins make their way through food webs and the co-occurrence of multiple algal toxins.
Ecosystem Metabolism
Just as forests photosynthesize by consuming carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, so do aquatic ecosystems. I'm interested in drivers of primary production and respiration within inland and estuarine waterways, which help to determine if a system is a carbon source or sink.